This weekend, as part of an otherwise largely bare Week 2 slate, two of the biggest brands and most decorated programs in the history of college football squared off.
And one of them picked up an important early-season victory.
Behind an electric performance from quarterback John Mateer and a suffocating outing from its defense, No. 24 Oklahoma knocked off No. 13 Michigan 24-13 on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.
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Mateer, a Washington State transfer in his first season with the Sooners, accounted for 344 total yards (270 passing, 74 rushing) and all three of his team’s touchdowns, two of which came on the ground. He regularly got help from wide receiver Deion Burks, who caught seven passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Oklahoma coach Brent Venables yet again executed a masterful defensive gameplan against a freshman quarterback, limiting the Wolverines and Bryce Underwood to 288 total yards. Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, completed only nine of 24 passes for 142 yards while regularly faced with blitzes.
Prior to Saturday night, the programs hadn’t faced off against each other since the end of the 1975 season, when Oklahoma defeated Michigan 14-6 in the Orange Bowl to secure a second-consecutive national championship.
USA TODAY Sports brought you live updates, scores and highlights from the game:
Michigan vs Oklahoma score
This section will be updated throughout the game
Oklahoma vs Michigan highlights
Here’s a look at the highlights from Oklahoma’s 24-13 win against Michigan:
Michigan vs Oklahoma updates
Final: Oklahoma 24, Michigan 13
The Sooners pick up a marquee, hard-earned 24-13 victory against the Wolverines. John Mateer was electric tonight and the Oklahoma defense did an excellent job bottling up Bryce Underwood.
Oklahoma kicks FG, likely seals win
Oklahoma now has some much-needed breathing room — and it was hard-earned.
With Michigan within eight, the Sooners get a 21-yard field goal from Tate Sandell with 1:44 remaining to extend their lead to 24-13 and cap off a 16-play, 78-yard drive. Most notably, though, the possession took 8:27 off the clock.
The Wolverines are down 11 points in the final two minutes and have no timeouts remaining.
Oklahoma misses field goal
After a productive drive, the Sooners come up empty-handed, with Tate Sandell pulling a 42-yard field goal attempt wide. A few plays earlier, John Mateer barely overthrew an open receiver in the end zone on a double flea-flicker that would have been a 24-yard touchdown.
Instead, Michigan takes over at its own 24-yard line with 12:32 left.
End of third quarter: Oklahoma 21, Michigan 13
Things are getting a little tight in Norman, with Michigan now within a single score of Oklahoma. The Sooners have a third-and-3 at their own 32-yard line.
Dominic Zvada field goal gets Michigan within one score of Oklahoma
Another drive and another score for Michigan. The Wolverines go 60 yards in eight plays, with Dominic Zvada drilling his second field goal of the night, this one from 35 yards out, to cut Oklahoma’s lead to 21-13 with 1:24 left in the third quarter. Michigan has now scored on three of its past five drives after being shut out on its first five possessions.
The latest march was highlighted by a spectacular catch from Donaven McCulley, who trapped a slightly underthrown Bryce Underwood pass against the helmet of a Sooners defensive back for a 44-yard gain.
Dominic Zvada FG pushes Michigan closer to Oklahoma
The Wolverines are able to get at least some points off of the bungled Oklahoma punt return, with Dominic Zvada connecting on a 42-yard field goal to pull Michigan within 11, 21-10, with 6:33 remaining in the third quarter.
Oklahoma muffs punt, Michigan takes over
After the Oklahoma defense forced the fifth Michigan punt of the night, the Sooners gave the ball right back. Isaiah Sategna III, only a few minutes removed from his long reception from John Mateer, bobbles a Hudson Hollenbeck 55-yard punt, with the Wolverines pouncing on the ball.
They’ll take over at the Oklahoma 31-yard line.
John Mateer’s third TD extends Oklahoma’s lead over Michigan
For the second time tonight, John Mateer uses his legs to get into the end zone, scampering through the Michigan defense for a 10-yard rushing touchdown with 10:12 left in the third quarter to push Oklahoma’s lead back to 14, 21-7.
The Washington State transfer has racked up 238 yards and three touchdowns so far tonight. The latest touchdown was set up by a dynamic 36-yard completion from Mateer to Isaiah Sategna III.
Michigan’s Justice Haynes scores 75-yard touchdown
After being stymied in the first half, Michigan finally gets on the board in a big way: Justice Haynes rumbles for a 75-yard touchdown to get the Wolverines on the board on their first offensive possession of the half. That cuts into the Sooners’ lead, which is now 14-7 with 14:49 left in the third quarter.
Halftime: Oklahoma 14, Michigan 0
The Sooners head to the locker room with a 14-0 lead over Michigan after a physical and impressive first half. The Wolverines will receive the second-half kickoff.
Oklahoma doubles lead on John Mateer TD
The Sooners end the first half on an emphatic note, marching 80 yards in 10 plays, with John Mateer punctuating the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to extend his team’s lead to 14-0 with 22 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
Mateer has 190 total yards and two touchdowns thus far.
Michigan misses field goal
The Wolverines looked poised to get on the board, but after a long, arduous march up the field, they come away scoreless. All-American kicker Dominic Zvada pulls a 32-yard field goal attempt wide at the end of a 12-play, 72-yard drive for Michigan, its most productive possession of the night.
Zvada missed just one field goal under 40 yards all of last season.
Michigan sack forces Oklahoma punt
With Oklahoma at midfield, Michigan’s Cole Sullivan sacks John Mateer for a 2-yard loss on third-and-6, forcing the Sooners to punt. The Wolverines will take over at their own 14-yard line with 9:25 remaining after a fair catch.
End of first quarter: Oklahoma 7, Michigan 0
The Sooners head into the second quarter with a 7-0 lead thanks to the early touchdown from Deion Burks.
John Mateer throws interception
Just when it looked like Oklahoma had all the momentum, Mateer overthrows his intended target for an interception by Michigan safety TJ Metcalf. The Wolverines take over at their own 38-yard line.
Oklahoma jumps to early lead over Michigan
The Sooners are methodical in their opening drive, traveling 75 yards in 12 plays for the game’s opening score. The drive was punctuated by a 9-yard receiving touchdown by Deion Burks.
Jaren Kanak makes one-handed grab into Michigan territory
There’s a nifty grab by Sooners tight end Jaren Kanak, who reels in a Mateer pass with one hand on the run for a 31-yard gain to the Michigan 43-yard line.
Oklahoma to receive ball
The Sooners have the ball up first. Here’s a look at Mateer’s first OU start against Power Four competition.
Oklahoma football jerseys vs Michigan
No surprise, but Oklahoma will be wearing its time-honored home uniform of white pants, crimson jerseys and crimson helmets with the school’s interlocking ‘OU’ logo.
Michigan football jerseys vs Oklahoma
Michigan will be wearing its traditional road look of maize pants, white jerseys and the iconic maize-and-blue winged helmet for its game at Oklahoma.
Bryce Underwood arrives at Oklahoma
The Michigan star freshman is on his way inside Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium ahead of the biggest game of his young college career.
Brent Venables vs freshman quarterbacks
For all of Bryce Underwood’s potential and hype, the Michigan quarterback may be running into an immovable object this weekend. Over the course of his long and distinguished career as a head coach and defensive coordinator, Oklahoma coach Brent Venables is 29-7 against redshirt and true freshman quarterbacks, with his exotic blitz packages often causing issues for inexperienced players.
There is a silver lining for Underwood, though — of those seven losses to freshman quarterbacks, four have come since he took over as Oklahoma’s head coach before the 2022 season.
Michigan vs Oklahoma series history
Despite being two of the preeminent programs in college football history, the Wolverines and Sooners have only played once before Saturday. That meeting came in the Orange Bowl at the end of the 1975 season, with Oklahoma winning the game 14-6 to help it win the national championship.
Bryce Underwood stats
In his first-ever college game, Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit nationally in the 2025 class, completed 21 of 31 passes for 251 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions in Michigan’s 34-17 victory against New Mexico.
John Mateer stats
In his first game since transferring to Oklahoma, Mateer completed 30 of 37 passes for 392 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in a 35-3 win against Illinois State in Week 1 of the 2025 season. He added 24 rushing yards and a touchdown on seven attempts.
Mateer left for Oklahoma after a stellar 2024 season at Washington State, where he completed 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions, along with 826 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
‘College GameDay’ picks for Michigan-Oklahoma
With ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ on site in Norman for Saturday’s game, the crew of the popular pregame show made their predictions for Oklahoma vs. Michigan. Here’s who they picked:
Desmond Howard: Michigan
Nick Saban: Michigan
Pat McAfee: Oklahoma
Trae Young (celebrity guest-picker): Oklahoma
Kirk Herbstreit: Did not pick (calling game for ESPN)
What time does Michigan vs Oklahoma start?
Date: Saturday, September 6
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Norman, Oklahoma)
What TV channel is Michigan vs Oklahoma on today?
TV: ABC
Streaming: ESPN App ∣ ESPN+ ∣ Fubo (free trial)
Michigan vs Oklahoma predictions
Matt Hayes, USA TODAY Network: Oklahoma
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: Oklahoma
Erick Smith, USA TODAY: Oklahoma
Paul Meyerberg, USA TODAY: Oklahoma
Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY: Oklahoma
Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY Network: Oklahoma
Michigan vs Oklahoma injury updates
Sooners coach Brent Venables said on September 2 that running back Jaydn Ott, a Cal transfer, ‘looks to be close to 100%.’ Ott is dealing with a shoulder injury that caused him to miss more than two weeks of fall training camp and limited him to one carry in an August 30 win against Illinois State.
Michigan schedule 2025
Here’s a look at the Wolverines’ 2025 football schedule:
Saturday, August 30: Michigan 34, New Mexico 17
Saturday, September 6: at No. 24 Oklahoma
Saturday, September 13: vs. Central Michigan
Saturday, September 20: at Nebraska
Saturday, September 27: BYE
Saturday, October 4: vs. Wisconsin
Saturday, October 11: at USC
Saturday, October 18: vs. Washington
Saturday, October 25: at Michigan State
Saturday, November 1: vs. Purdue
Saturday, November 8: BYE
Saturday, November 15: at Northwestern
Saturday, November 22: at Maryland
Saturday, November 29: at No. 1 Ohio State
Oklahoma schedule 2025
Here’s a look at the Sooners’ 2025 football schedule:
Saturday, August 30: Oklahoma 35, Illinois State 3
Saturday, September 6: vs. No. 13 Michigan
Saturday, September 13: at Temple
Saturday, September 20: vs. Auburn
Saturday, September 27: BYE
Saturday, October 4: vs. Kent State
Saturday, October 11: vs. No. 6 Texas*
Saturday, October 18: at No. 11 South Carolina
Saturday, October 25: vs. No. 14 Ole Miss
Saturday, November 1: at No. 17 Tennessee
Saturday, November 8: BYE
Saturday, November 15: at No. 20 Alabama
Saturday, November 22: vs. Missouri
Saturday, November 29: vs. No. 4 LSU
* Game will be played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas